The Eagles regain the ranking they first held in November as the top squad in the preseason National Top 10.
In addition to Montverde's victory, there were numerous, and unexpected, results impacted the national rankings this week. No. 5
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) fell to No. 10
Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah), No. 6
AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) lost to
Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.), No. 8
DME Academy (Daytona Beach, Fla.) was beaten by
Central Pointe Christian Academy (Kissimmee, Fla.) and
La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) was upset by
Brother Rice (Chicago).
Following the upset victory, an up-and-down Wasatch Academy team re-enters the rankings and replaces previous No. 10
St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.). Although St. Benedict's Prep only has three losses compared with 10 for Wasatch Academy, lackluster scheduling costs the Gray Bees their spot in the National Top 10.
Five-star sophomore Cooper Flagg celebrates a basket as Montverde Academy runs past Link Academy. The Eagles reclaimed the top spot in the National Top 10 rankings. (Photo: Catalina Fragoso)
Record: 22-2 | Last week: 2
The Eagles were paced in the Link Academy win by 21 points and 13 rebounds from five-star junior
Derik Queen. The Eagles also took down MaxPreps Top 25 No. 19 Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 84-62 behind 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists from Oregon signee
Kwame Evans.
Record: 23-1 | Last week: 1
Split a pair of contests at the Metro Classic as the Lions defeated Gill St. Bernard's (Gladstone, N.J.) 61-33 paced by 15 points from Tennessee signee
Cameron Carr before suffering their first loss of the season against Montverde Academy 84-58 despite a team-high 17 points from North Carolina pledge
Elliot Cadeau.
Record: 24-1 | Last week: 3
Picked up a pair of wins at the Thoroughbred Classic. The Crew beat Premier Prep (Ariz.) 113-85 paced by 21 points and 10 rebounds from Miami signee
Michael Nwoko along with 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists from freshman
Tyran Stokes. They then took down Tennessee Prep 76-60, led by 28 points from Auburn signee
Aden Holloway and 14 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks from Stokes.
Record: 14-6 | Last week: 4
The Buffaloes went 1-1 over the weekend at the NIBC at IMG Academy, losing 59-50 to No. 5 IMG Academy before bouncing back with a 73-61 victory over Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) paced by 24 points, seven rebounds, four blocks and three steals on 9-of-12 from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-point range from five-star senior
Matas Buzelis.
Record: 17-6 | Last week: 6
Finished the weekend 2-1 at the NIBC at IMG Academy. The Ascenders took down No. 4 Sunrise Christian Academy 59-50 paced by Georgia Tech signee
Blue Cain's 29 points, defeated Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.) 76-70 behind 20 points from apiece from Maryland signee
Jamie Kaiser and Cain and then fell to Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 59-58 in an upset.
Record: 18-5 | Last week: 7
Continue to struggle after a hot start to the season, losing to Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.) 56-55 at the Court XIV Classic. The Dragons have now suffered three losses in 2023 and struggled in big games since beating No. 1 Montverde Academy and No. 4 Sunrise Christian Academy on consecutive days back in November.
Record: 26-4
| Last week: 8
Notched a pair of victories over the weekend at the Thoroughbred Classic, defeating Accelerated Prep (Lakewood, Colo.) 60-56 behind 11 points and five steals from senior
Arne Osojnik and knocking off Tennessee Prep (Memphis, Tenn.) 84-71 guided by 14 points and 14 rebounds from sophomore
Alejandro Aviles.
Record: 23-5 | Last week: 5
Suffered a setback following their upset victory over No. 5 IMG Academy last week, losing their first SIAA contest of the season against Central Pointe Christian Academy (Kissimmee) 61-58. DME Academy is now a long shot for a GEICO Nationals bid.
Record: 12-8 | Last week: 9
Remain at No. 9 despite suffering a bad loss, 59-51, to Brother Rice (Chicago) on Monday. The Lakers have struggled to string together wins this season and sit at 4-5 in NIBC play after splitting a pair of conference showdowns at the Metro Classic over the weekend.
Record: 12-10 | Last week: NR
Re-enter the National Top 10 after securing a 59-58 victory over No. 5 IMG Academy, led by 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals from South Carolina signee
Collin Murray-Boyles. The Eagles have been a hard team to gauge this season with key wins over No. 6 AZ Compass Prep and previous No. 10 St. Benedict's Prep while also suffering numerous bad losses.
